# 4685
Ida at BFIC – a joint effort between Kobe University in Japan and the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Indonesia – has translations of a couple of recent articles from the Indonesian press regarding two suspected incidents of bird flu.
As stated often in this blog, the Indonesian government is less than anxious to discuss their bird flu situation (see Indonesia To Stop Announcing Bird Flu Deaths), and rarely confirms or comments on these media reports.
Suspected cases, however, are simply that. There are a number of diseases to be found in Indonesia that can produce `bird flu-like’ symptoms.
Laboratory confirmation is required before a case can be attributed to the H5N1 virus. Lab tests for bird flu, however, are not always reliable and multiple tests are required.
With that preface in place, the two translated reports from the Bird Flu Information Corner.
Boyolali, Central Java ::: A man possibly dies of bird flu
Posted by Ida on June 30, 2010
Boyolali – Syamsudin (27), a resident of Desa Paras, Kecamatan Cepogo, Kabupaten Boyolali allegedly died of bird flu/avian influenza H5N1 infection.
Head of Boyolali Health Service, dr Yulianto Prabowo, mentioned patient had been treated in Pandan Arang Boyolali regional public hospital before the death.
Patient was diagnosed as bird flu suspect, and in critical condition that must be referred to Dr. Moewardi hospital in Solo.
He died during treatment in Dr Moewardi hospital and diagnosed to have respiratory infection.
Previously, hundreds of chickens died in Dukuh Bandung, Desa Beji, Kecamatan Andong, Boyolali. However, officials faced difficulty in diagnosing the cause of death because no dead chickens left for sample.
So far, no report of bird flu signs in human, but area monitoring is still ongoing.
Source: Indonesia news office, ANTARA-JATENG.
This next report concerns the isolation of 4 children who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms after exposure to sick and dying chickens in West Kalimantan.
This province is one of the few in Indonesia that has been certified as bird flu free. In recent weeks, however, they’ve begun reporting poultry deaths.
West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia
A week ago we had a report of a 4 year-old hospitalized from this region with suspected H5N1 (see Indonesia: Bird Flu Suspect). That child, according to this report, tested negative and has been released from the hospital.
Pontianak, West Kalimantan ::: 4-year-old negative bird flu. Four other children under isolation
Posted by Ida on June 30, 2010
Pontianak – Following to avian influenza (AI) outbreak in chickens, four people from different areas in Pontianak are under intensive treatment of alleged bird flu infection. Patients were reported to develop fever and flu symptoms after chickens suddenly died around their neighborhood.
Patients are being treated in dr Soedarso hospital, Pontianak. A patient has recovered and discharged from hospital, while four patients are still isolated, Ad (10), Ap (15), Da (10) and Wt (9). Da and Wt are cousins, and neighbors of Ap residing in Karya Bhakti street. Ad is resident of Pak Benceng of Pontianak city.
Head of Medic and Non-Medic Service Division, Dr Soedarso hospital, Dr Hj Tita Selati said patients had been taken care according standard procedure (protap). “They are isolated and given Tamiflu”, said Tita.
In the meantime, patients’ swab samples have been sent to research and development laboratory of Ministry of Health (Litbangkes) in Jakarta for bird flu confirmation.
Ap was referred from Gang Sehat public health center and Wt was from Purnama public health center.
Previously, Dd (4.5), a bird flu suspect patient in dr Soedarso had been confirmed negative by Litbangkes, and discharged from hospital.
Source: Indonesia local newspaper, Equator News
Reports such as these come out of Indonesia, and other bird-flu endemic regions, sporadically. Some will turn out to be H5N1, while others will not. And it is likely that some cases are never detected.
H2H (Human to Human) transmission of the virus remains exceedingly rare, and most of the cases still appear to be due to contract with infected birds.
Still, these reports are a valuable reminder that the H5N1 virus remains active in some parts of the world, and its potential for causing a pandemic sometime in the future has not diminished.
My thanks to Ida at the BFIC , and the other newshounds around the world who diligently pour through hundreds of news sources every day looking for obscure items of interest, and then translating and posting them.
